History Museum

How do you make history class relevant to high school students?  This has been a question that I have kept at the center of my planning for the last twenty years.  This question is not an easy one to answer. However, it is a question that must be answered in order to provide today's students with the best experiences possible.

My choice this year was to run my class in an even more student-centered manner than I had ever done in the past.  I incorporated student choice and blogging into our weekly routine.  In addition to these activities, we are acting as curators of our own history museum. Why?  Good question.

I believe that students learn more when they are part of the learning.  Some of the best learning happens in the ag shop, the art room, and the choir room.  Why?  Students in those classrooms act as mechanics, artists, and musicians.  They practice skills and with repetition improve and remember those skills.  Isn't this what I want in my history classes? YES!

A historian is a good reader, writer and critical thinker.  These skills can be practiced in a history classroom by using historical content. So, our history museum is off and running. Right now we are learning how to handle our responsibilities.  Soon, we will be making decisions on which content belongs in our museum and how we are going to exhibit this content.

Our main museum will be a class website. This website will contain pictures, videos, editorials, historically relevant definitions and explanations.  We have three committees and three departments in which students act as historians throughout the week.  Being a historian may not be as much fun as being a mechanic, artist, or musician, but we are trying to get there.

At the end of the year we will have a collection of what we learned and what we as a class find important about being a citizen of this great country.  I want my students to be better when they leave high school than during high school and this museum will provide them with skills they can use the rest of their lives.  

I teach history but hope to impact the future.

It's All About the Learning!

Student Choice

The idea of allowing students to make choices in the classroom has always been interesting to me.  After 22 years of teaching, I have finally adopted student choice as a main component in our classroom.  Early results are so encouraging.

Relevance of material contained in curriculum is vital for students to comprehend and maintain knowledge.  How do I make content relevant?

I have debated the appropriate balance between content knowledge and skill knowledge for a long time.  How do I teach what I need to teach while making my students better thinkers?

The answers for me are found by using our states Historical Literacy standards in connection with state content standards.  Identifying the power content standards first and then using the literacy standards to implement and compliment.

OK.... that was great teacher speak.  That's the textbook answer.  I actually do all of the above; however, that is not the key to our classroom.

The key.....student choice.

Allowing freedom in the classroom is both enjoying and troubling.  Joy in watching our students work hard, create and learn.  Troubling in the fact that I as teacher have to monitor and record progress of many different tasks all at one time.  The joy far outweighs the troubling aspects of student choice.

Here are a couple of examples of student choice.

1.  Weekly Vocab:  Students choose the words and how they will demonstrate they learned said words.  The creativity I am seeing for a 10 point assignment is amazing

2.  Blogging:  Each student spent time creating their own personal Blog.  Time spent designing and formatting blogs has been eye opening.  I have learned about embedding video from one of my students.  The creative names and the pride they are taking has been great to witness.

3.  Notebook choice:  Students can keep a notebook on Google Docs, Evernote or LiveBinders.  They choose.  Discussions with students so far has been great and I am learning so much about online binders.

4.  Committees and Departments:  We are creating a year long US History Museum that will house examples of what we have learned, what we believe is important and what we have created.  Students can apply for these positions and will work together in creating this museum.  Leadership opportunities exist for this student driven activity.

I know it is early in the school year and understand that there may be bumps in the road.  However, the hard work, the focus and the excitement I have seen with our students so far is simply AMAZING!


IT'S ALL ABOUT THE LEARNING

Relationship Education

Today's blog is a reprint of a document I wrote in 2011 for the Indiana University Armstrong Award program.  It discusses the importance of relationships in education.  Regardless of the methods, technology, standards and testing, this still remains the most vital aspect of teaching.  Hope you enjoy.

Relationship Education

Education is a career that is fulfilling in many ways.  As a teacher, one can influence the lives of young people and can impact society.  I believe that the most important aspect of being an educator involves relationships--relationships where the teacher understands the students and makes them feel important, where the teacher understands that enthusiasm for learning and life can determine outcomes, and where the teacher maintains a level of life-long learning to adapt to the best practices available.  Relationship education is a combination of personal and professional relationships where a level of excellence can be achieved by all.

Throughout my career, I have learned that the most important aspect of a classroom is the teacher.  A teacher that demonstrates positive attitudes towards students and the learning environment.  The idea that all kids can learn is absolutely true.  What kids learn can fluctuate based on factors that each student brings to the classroom.  Some will learn the content, some self-confidence, some proper behavior, and some how to dream.  It is the responsibility of the teacher to get to know each and every student in a proper teacher-student relationship in order for learning of all types to occur.  I have learned that teaching is more than delivering content.  Teaching includes the building and molding of young people into productive adults.  In order to achieve this level of learning, a teacher must be open to all methods and maintain a sense of accountability in the classroom.  If expectations are high then students will achieve.

People with passion are more successful in any career, but especially in education.  I have found a passion in the lives of my students.  I mention the lives of students because I want help the students improve on a daily basis.  I strive for helping students understand their strengths and to work on their weaknesses.  The underdog in the classroom is especially important to me.  I really enjoy seeing someone who struggles in school finding success in my classroom.  A recent student who is autistic was a big focus for me last semester.  I did not just want to get him through the curriculum, but wanted to help him understand how to overcome his difficulties.  The “C” and “D” students hold special places in my heart.  To help these students improve and be validated as important is very fulfilling.  This is accomplished with great enthusiasm.  A teacher must enjoy what they teach but must also enjoy the students.  Every day it is important for teachers to be full of positive energy so students can achieve more.

Life-long learning has been taught to me by the best teachers I ever had, my parents.  They both were educators and strived to stay current in their profession to the day they retired.  Currently, I am involved in designing a digital curriculum in social studies.  Instead of adopting textbooks, our department decided to use laptops and the internet as our classroom resource.  The decision to implement the digital curriculum was due to the idea that we can help children learn if we meet them at their points of interests.  We also considered the fact that using computers would help them after high school in college and in the work force.  We are on a pace to attempt to go completely paperless, as students often submit work electronically.  I am the pioneer for this program in our school and have been asked to help other educators as they move in this direction.  By building the curriculum from state standards we are able then to find resources relevent to each required subject by using a website called Nettrekker as well as other popular search engines.  Students are more on task and able to dig more deeply into subjects than with a text.  The level of communication with students has improved due to email communications that are available with our school website host Google Classroom.  We have witnessed better note taking and organization.  Projects are used such as podcasts, movies, and powerpoint presentations to assess student understanding.  There are unlimited resources available with technology to improve the education of students.  It has been a privilege to be involved in such a ground breaking curriculum.

Relationships, passion and life-long learning are important to me as an educator.  I take pride in constantly looking for ways to improve my classroom.  I appreciate the faith my superintendent and principal have in me to allow me to be involved in such a project.  I look forward to improving each day and to sharing what I learn and what I do with other teachers.  Our students are too important not to strive to be the best we can be.  These students are the future of our society and they deserve the best we can offer.

Welcome

Welcome to my Education Blog.  I hope to write on a weekly basis about items in the world of Education.  This will include general items, classroom issues, classroom techniques and the use of technology in the classroom.

I am a teacher at Delphi Community Schools in Delphi, IN.  I am going to refer to myself as the "lead learner" of the classroom.  I must give credit to Dr. Tony Sinanis and Jason Bodnar, two educators I follow on twitter for the idea.  This shift is to remind me that I am working with my students in learning every day.

I have taught for the last six years using digital curriculum, which is a fancy way of saying without textbooks.  I believe that resources online provide more relevant information and help our students move forward at a faster pace.  I would suggest following Matt Miller @jmattmiller on twitter and DitchThatTextbook.com

Thanks for reading and please follow.  Send me suggestions and I will share what works and what does not work in the high school classroom.